Sealed conveying apparatus

ABSTRACT

A conveyor screw is mounted in a working chamber to convey a fluid material, and is sealed by a row or stack of sealing elements extending along a surface line of the conveyor screw perpendicular to the turns of the same.

United States Patent Kramer et al.

1451 Mar. 28, 1972 SEALED CONVEYING APPARATUS Hermann Kramer; Karl-Heinz Hahn, both of Freiburg, Germany Pumpen- Und Maschinenfabrik Lederie 011G, Freiburg, Germany Jan. 15, 1970 Inventors:

Assignee:

Filed:

Appl. N0.:

Foreign Application Priority Data [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,151,806 10/1964 Whitfield ..418/126 X 1,723,157 8/1929 Guttinger, Jr ..4l8/195 1,437,464 12/1922 Carroll 418/195 X 1,306,572 6/1919 Bartlett.... ..418/220 3,181,296 5/1965 Zimmern. 418/195 X 907,022 12/ 1908 Finkle ..418/208 2,625,885 1/1953 Mumma .418/220 Primary ExaminerCarlton R. Croyle Jan. 16, 1969 Germany ..P 19 02 065.6 nin hn J- Vrablik Oct. 6, 1969 Germany ..P 19 50 238.6 A'mmey-M1chaelS-Smker US. Cl ..418/125, 418/129, 418/208, ABSTRACT 418,210 4 1 8/220 418] 418/249 A conveyor screw is mounted in a working chamber to convey 11 1. c1 ..F0lc 19/02,F01c 11/00, F04c 27/00 a fluid material, and is sealed by a row or Stack of sealing def Field of Search ..418/48, 125, 126, 195,208, mems extending along a Surface line of the conveyor screw 418/220, 243, 246, 247, 248, 249, 127-129, 210, perpendicularto the turns ofthe Same.

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1. Sealed conveying apparatus comprising, in combination, housing means formed with conduit means including inlet means, outlet means, and a working chamber between the same; rotor means including at least one rotor mounted for rotation about an axis in said housing means and including conveyor screw means in contact with the inner surface of said working chamber for transporting a fluid material from said inlet means to said outlet means, said conveyor screw means being composed of a plurality of disks angularly staggered equal distances about said axis and being eccentric to the same so that portions of said disks form the surface of said conveyor screw means; sealing means incluDing at least one row of sealing elements mounted in said housing means for independent movement toward and away from said axis and having a row of inner end faces located in said working chamber in contact with said disks, respectively, on a surface line along the length of said conveyor screw means; and pressure means in said housing means acting on the outer ends of said sealing elements to bias said sealing elements inward into sealing abutment with said conveyor screw means.
 2. Sealed conveying apparatus comprising, in combination, housing means formed with conduit means including inlet means, outlet means, and a working chamber between the same; rotor means including at least one rotor mounted for rotation about an axis in said housing means and including conveyor screw means in contact with the inner surface of said working chamber for transporting a fluid material from said inlet means to said outlet means; sealing means including at least one row of sealing elements mounted in said housing means for independent movement toward and away from said axis and having a row of inner end faces located in said working chamber in contact with a surface line along the length of said conveyor screw means; pressure means in said housing means acting on the outer ends of said sealing elements to bias said sealing elements inward into sealing abutment with said conveyor screw means, said pressure means including a pressure chamber in which said outer ends of said sealing elements are located, said pressure chamber being formed in said housing means and having an inlet opening communicating with said conduit means; and a check valve in said inlet opening so that fluid material can enter through the same to compensate for fluid losses.
 3. Sealed conveying apparatus comprising, in combination, housing means formed with conduit means including inlet means, outlet means, and a working chamber between the same; rotor means including at least one rotor mounted for rotation about an axis in said housing means and including conveyor screw means in contact with the inner surface of said working chamber for transporting a fluid material from said inlet means to said outlet means; sealing means including at least one row of sealing elements mounted in said housing means for independent movement toward and away from said axis and having a row of inner end faces located in said working chamber in contact with a surface line along the length of said conveyor screw means, adjacent sealing elements being made of different materials adapted to slide on each other; and pressure means in said housing means acting on the outer ends of said sealing elements to bias said sealing elements inward into sealing abutment with said conveyor screw means.
 4. Sealed conveying apparatus comprising, in combination, housing means formed with conduit means including inlet means, outlet means, and a working chamber between the same; rotor means including at least one rotor mounted for rotation about an axis in said housing means and including conveyor screw means in contact with the inner surface of said working chamber for transporting a fluid material from said inlet means to said outlet means; sealing means including at least one row of sealing elements mounted in said housing means for independent movement toward and away from said axis and having a row of inner end faces located in said working chamber in contact with a surface line along the length of said conveyor screw means; and pressure means in said housing means acting on the outer ends of said sealing elements to bias said sealing elements inward into sealing abutment with said conveyor screw means, said pressure means including springs in said housing means acting on said outer ends of said sealing elements.
 5. Sealed conveying apparatus comprising, in combination, housing means formed with conduit means including inlet means, outlet means, and two working chambers between the same; rotor means including two rotors having parallel axes and mOunted for rotation in said housing means, each rotor including conveyor screw means in contact with the inner surfaces of said working chambers, respectively, for transporting a fluid material from said inlet means to said outlet means; sealing means including two rows of sealing elements mounted in said housing means for independent movement toward and away from said axes and having rows of inner end faces located in said working chambers, respectively, in contact with surface lines along the lengths of said two conveyor screw means, respectively; and pressure means in said housing means acting on the outer ends of said sealing elements to bias said sealing elements inward into sealing abutment with said conveyor screw means.
 6. Sealed conveying apparatus comprising, in combination, housing means formed with conduit means including inlet means, outlet means, and a working chamber between the same; rotor means including at least one rotor mounted in said housing means for rotation about one axis and having conveyor screw means in contact with the inner surface of said working chamber for transporting a fluid material from said inlet means to said outlet means through said working chamber; sealing means including at least one row of sealing elements laterally abutting each other and mounted in said housing means for free independent movement toward and away from said axis, said sealing elements having adjacent inner end faces located in said working chamber in continuous contact with a continuous surface line between the ends and along the length of said conveyor screw means so that said sealing elements are outwardly displaced during rotation of said conveyor screw means; and pressure means in said housing means acting on said outer ends of said sealing elements to bias all said sealing elements inward into sealing abutment of said inner end faces on said surface line of said conveyor screw means whereby said working chamber is sealed between said inlet means and outlet means.
 7. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said conveyor screw means has turns forming an angle with said axis; and wherein said surface line is perpendicular to said turns of said conveyor screw means.
 8. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said pressure means include springs in said housing means acting on said outer ends of said sealing elements.
 9. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said pressure means include a plurality of means for applying a greater pressure to sealing elements abutting said conveyor screw means at the end thereof adjacent said outlet means than sealing elements at the end thereof adjacent said inlet means.
 10. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said inner end faces of said sealing elements are rounded off in the direction of said surface line, and are curved to match the circumferential outline of said conveyor screw means in circumferential direction.
 11. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said sealing means include two adjacent rows of sealing elements; and wherein the sealing elements of each row are staggered in the direction of said surface line so that spaces between sealing elements of one row are covered by the sealing elements of the other row, respectively.
 12. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said conveyor screw means is composed of turns having a trapezoid cross section; and wherein said inner end faces of said sealing elements are trapezoidal and have surface portions matching said trapezoidal cross section.
 13. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said pressure means includes a pressure chamber in which said outer ends of said sealing elements are located, said pressure chamber being formed in said housing means and having an inlet opening communicating with said conduit means; and a check valve in said inlet opening so that fluid can enter through the same to compensate fOr fluid losses.
 14. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said conveyor screw means is composed of a plurality of disks angularly staggered equal angular distances about said axis and being eccentric to the same so that peripheral surface portions of said disks form the surface of said conveyor screw means; wherein each of said sealing elements is a prismatic body having four longitudinal edges and a rectangular inner end face abutting one of said peripheral surface portions, respectively; and wherein at least one of said longitudinal edges is rounded off adjacent said rectangular inner end face for cooperation with the adjacent disk.
 15. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said conveyor screw means has multiple helical turns.
 16. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said rotor means includes a shaft and two conveyor screw means having opposite turns spaced along said shaft; wherein said inlet means have two inlets at the remote ends of said conveyor screw means; and wherein said outlet means is located between said conveyor screw means.
 17. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said conveyor screw means has helical turns spaced a predetermined axial pitch distance; and wherein the axial thickness of said sealing elements and inner end faces is substantially less than said pitch distance.
 18. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein said sealing elements are thin plates slidingly abutting each other.
 19. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said pressure means include a pressure chamber formed in said housing and containing a fluid medium under pressure; and wherein said sealing elements have outer end faces located in said pressure chamber subjected to the pressure of said medium so that said sealing elements are urged toward said conveyor screw means.
 20. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 19 wherein said housing means include stop means located in said pressure chamber outside of said outer ends of said sealing elements for limiting outward movement of the same in a position in which said inner end faces abut the surface of said conveyor screw means.
 21. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 20 wherein said stop means include a U-shaped member extending along the length of said row of sealing elements and being formed with perforations; and wherein said pressure means include a pressure chamber containing a pressure medium acting on said outer ends of said sealing elements and flowing through said perforations.
 22. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 19 wherein said conduit means communicate with said pressure chamber so that the transported material is the same as said medium in said pressure chamber whereby said conveyor screw means produces the pressure in the same.
 23. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 22 wherein said pressure chamber is located in said conduit means between said working chamber and said outlet means so that the entire transported material flows through said pressure chamber.
 24. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 22 wherein said pressure chamber is closed and communicates with said outlet means, and adapted for movement of said medium therein.
 25. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 22 wherein said housing means includes at least one partitioning wall in said pressure chamber dividing the same into at least two pressure chamber portions; and wherein said conduit means include conduits connecting different portions of said conduit means having different pressures with said two pressure chamber portions, respectively, so that groups of said sealing elements are subjected to different pressures for sealing at low friction.
 26. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the sealing elements in the outlet region of said working chamber are less thick in the direction of said surface line than the sealing eLements in the inlet region of said working chamber.
 27. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 26 wherein said row of sealing elements includes groups of sealing elements having the same thickness in said direction of said surface line.
 28. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said conveyor screw means is composed of a plurality of disks angularly staggered equal angular distances about said axis and being eccentric to the same so that peripheral surface portions of said disks form the surface of said conveyor screw means.
 29. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 28 wherein said working chamber has a cylindrical inner surface with a predetermined radius; and wherein the outermost parts of said peripheral surface portions of said disks are in sliding engagement with said inner surface and have said predetermined radius of curvature.
 30. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said rotor includes shaft portions at the ends of said conveyor screw means; and wherein said housing means includes bearings for rotatably supporting said shaft portions.
 31. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 30 wherein one of said bearings is located in the proximity of said inlet means; wherein one of said shaft portions passes through an opening in a wall of said housing means between said one bearing and said inlet means; and comprising a stuffing box in said opening.
 32. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 6 and comprising compensating end members movably mounted in said housing means at the ends of said row of sealing elements and abutting the same and the ends of said conveyor screw means for aligning said ends of said row and said ends of said conveyor screw means.
 33. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 32 wherein said conveyor screw means is composed of a plurality of disks angularly staggered equal angular distances about said axis and being eccentric to the same so that peripheral surface portions of said disks form the surface of said conveyor screw means, said peripheral surface portions being parallel to said axis; wherein said inner end faces of said sealing elements respectively abut said peripheral surface portions of said disks and have a matching shape; and wherein said compensating end members hold said sealing elements in positions aligned with the respective correlated peripheral surface portions, respectively.
 34. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 33 wherein said housing means include walls perpendicular to said axis; wherein each of said compensating end members had a convex back face abutting one of said walls, and a planar front face abutting a sealing element at the end of said row, and a disk at an end of said conveyor screw means.
 35. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said rotor includes a shaft and a plurality of conveyor screw means spaced along the same and being separated by shaft portions.
 36. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 35 wherein said housing means includes a plurality of housing units; wherein said sealing means include a plurality of rows of sealing elements cooperating with said conveyor screw means, respectively, and wherein each of said conveyor screw means and rows is located in one of said housing units.
 37. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 36 wherein each conveyor screw means is composed of a plurality of angularly staggered disks fixedly secured to said shaft; and comprising spacing sleeves on said shaft portions between said conveyor screw means.
 38. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said housing means includes two working chambers between said inlet means and said outlet means; wherein said rotor means include two rotors having parallel axes and conveyor screw means in contact with the inner surfaces of said two working chambers, respectively; wherein said sealing means include two rows of sealing elements having inner eNd faces located in said working chambers, respectively, in contact with surface lines along the lengths of said conveyor screw means, respectively.
 39. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 38 wherein said housing means include end walls located at the ends of said conveyor screw means and said rows of sealing elements for maintaining the latter in abutting positions.
 40. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 38 including gear means connecting said two rotors for rotation in the same direction, and located in said housing means.
 41. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 38 wherein said conveyor screw means have left hand and right hand turns, respectively, and including gear means connecting said two rotors for rotation in opposite directions.
 42. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 38 wherein each rotor has first and second shaft portions in the proximity of said inlet means and outlet means, respectively; comprising roller bearing means for said first shaft positions located outside of said housing means, and sealing means for sealing said first shaft portions in said housing means; and bearings for said second shaft portions located in said housing means in said conduit means.
 43. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 38 wherein said pressure means includes a pressure chamber between said working chambers in which said outer ends of said sealing elements are located, said pressure chamber containing a fluid medium under pressure for biasing said sealing elements toward the respective conveyor screw means.
 44. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 43 wherein said pressure chamber communicates with said conduit means in the region of said outlet means so that said fluid medium is under pressure.
 45. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 44 including a check valve between said conduit means and said pressure chamber.
 46. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 38 wherein said sealing elements of said two rows are integrally connected to each other, respectively, so that each conveyor screw means constitutes said pressure means for pressing said integrally connected sealing elements against the respective other conveyor screw means.
 47. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 46 comprising a buffer member between said outer ends of connected sealing elements and integrally connecting the same.
 48. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 47 wherein said buffer members are resilient; and wherein the distance between said two conveyor screw means is selected so that said buffer elements are resiliently pretensioned.
 49. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein adjacent sealing elements are made of different materials adapted to slide smoothly on each other.
 50. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 49 wherein alternating sealing elements are made of metal and of a synthetic material, respectively.
 51. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said rotor is integral and cast.
 52. Sealed conveying apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said pressure means include a pressure chamber, and means for supplying a fluid medium under pressure to said pressure chamber. 